Nirbhaya convicts can't hang on 22nd: Delhi govt

January 15, 2020 13:56

The Delhi government Wednesday told the high court that execution of the death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case will not take place on January 22 as a mercy plea has been filed by one of them. The four convicts -- Vinay Sharma (26), Mukesh Kumar (32), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25) -- are to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar jail.

A Delhi court had issued their death warrants on January 7. Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal were told by the Delhi government and the Centre that the petition filed by convict Mukesh, challenging his death warrant, was premature.

The Delhi government and the prison authorities informed the court that under the rules, it will have to wait for the mercy plea to be decided before executing the death warrant.

Advocate Rahul Mehra, Standing Counsel for the Tihar Jail authorities said that execution of the convicts will surely not take place on January 22. He stated that fate of a death convict comes to finality only after his mercy plea is rejected by the President. 'It can only take place 14 days after the mercy plea is rejected as we are bound by the rule which says that a notice of 14 days must be provided to the convicts after the rejection of mercy plea."'

They also said that none of the four convicts can be executed on January 22 unless the present mercy plea is decided. The Supreme Court had on Tuesday dismissed the curative pleas of Mukesh and Vinay. The hearing which is going on since morning will continue post-lunch. -- PTI

Image: Convict Mukesh Singh has filed a mercy plea before President Ram Nath Kovind.

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